What to do if you think you may have lung cancer

Visit http://www.cancercenter.com/lungdiagnostics to learn more about the four-day lung diagnostic program at Midwestern Regional Medical Center at CTCA.

Lung cancer is often called “a silent disease.” Because its early symptoms are so subtle, the vast majority of cases have progressed to an advanced stage by the time patients are first diagnosed. That’s why it is critical to find out as quickly as possible whether an abnormal spot on the lung is cancerous or benign. As this video shows, the lung experts at Midwestern Regional Medical Center (Midwestern) have developed a system to do just that — deliver a fast, accurate diagnosis, in days, rather than the weeks it typically takes.

Even before patients walk in the door for a scheduled appointment, their multidisciplinary care team has collected all the medical history paperwork, pored over any diagnostics and collaborated on an expedited plan. By the fourth day of the patient’s stay at Midwestern, the medical oncologist on the care team will deliver a diagnosis, explain it to the patient, and if it is cancer, recommend a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to that patient’s specific tumor. The “speed, efficiency, the reliability and the communication” combine to make this highly coordinated approach “superior,” Thoracic Surgeon Dr. Jonathan Kiev says in this video. Watch to learn more.